1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a guard for a wheeled base. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a wheeled base having a mast which minimizes entanglement of lines around and under the base. Even more particularly, the present invention pertains to a guard for an intravenous or I.V. stand constructed to minimize entanglement of I.V. lines extending from the I.V. stand.
2. Description of the Prior Art
I.V. stands having wheels are well-known in the art, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,892,279 to Lafferty et al. and 4,332,378 to Pryor. The I.V. stands disclosed by Lafferty and Pryor are representative of the types of I.V. stands that are commonly available. Such I.V. stands generally comprise a base and a mast section. At the top of the mast is means for supporting items such as bags or bottles that contain I.V. fluids from which fluid defining lines extend to the patient.
A typical wheeled stand for an I.V. stand generally comprises a plurality of outwardly extending legs. A wheel caster, such as the type generally disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,827,564 to Brown, is usually disposed at the end of each leg. Wheel casters having dual wheels are also often used, such as the types disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,997,938 to Pinaire et al., and 4,219,904 to Melara.
It is to be appreciated that although wheeled I.V. stands have been used for many years, the design of such stands has remained substantially the same. While the stands serve their purpose well, the typical I.V. stand also leaves room for improvement. For example, I.V. stands most often have various cords and tubes that are extending between the stand and the patient or other equipment. These cords and tubes are often run over by the wheels of the stand and are prone to entanglement with each other or other objects.
These problems can be especially troublesome because the stand is often supporting bags or bottles that are connected to an I.V. needle inserted into a patient, and it is often the patient who is moving the I.V. stand. While moving the I.V. stand, the patient should be primarily concerned that he or she does not inadvertently remove his or her I.V. needle. Instead, the patient is preoccupied with moving an uncooperative I.V. stand or retrieving tangled cords or tubes from underneath the stand.
In addition, the entangled cords and tubes are a trip hazard to the patient. It is believed that up to 25% of hospital falls are a result of entangled tubes or cords associated with an I.V. stand.
Furthermore, when a patient is fortunate enough to not be hurt by this dangerous situation, he or she will still often require the assistance of a nurse to untangle the cords. Assisting patients with this common nuisance can become very time-consuming for the nurses, which in turn adds significantly to the hospital's overhead costs due to lost productivity.
Thus, there remains a need for a guard for a wheeled base that facilitates retrieving cords or tubes from underneath the stand.
The present invention, as is detailed hereinbelow, seeks to resolve these issues by providing a guard for a wheeled base (an in particular for a wheeled base for an I.V. stand) that allows for quick and easy removal of any cords or tubes that have been run over by the stand.